Soybean is the main agricultural product worldwide, meriting investments in technology with aims of increasing production as well as reducing adverse crop factors. Thus, this work had as objective to evaluate the effect of growth retardant - in different sowing densities - on growth, production components, yield and lodging in soybean crops. The experiment was developed at the Coopavel Technological Center, Cascavel - Parana State, Brazil. The experimental design was arranged in completely randomized blocks with four replications, in a factorial experiment (6x2), with treatments obtained through the combination of six levels of retardant and two sowing densities. Evaluations were undertaken every 14 days, starting 21 days after emergence (DAE) until bloom. At this time, stem diameter and plant height were measured. Three collections were made (35, 70 and 100 DAE), in order to calculate dry mass in the different plant parts and leaf area. At harvest, the production components and lodging index were evaluated. The growth retardant and plant density influenced the height and stem diameter of the plants. However, the retardant did not affect dry mass, leaf area, production components, yield and lodging index, but density did affect dry mass.
Glycine max (L.) Merrill; gibberellin; plant height; sowing density